Transmission device



Aug. 17 1926. 1,596,153

F. C. CHADBORN TRANSMI S SION DEVICE Filed 'Dec. 29, 1923 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS FREDERIC 610/505 RN Patented Aug. 17, 1926.

FREDERIC o. 'oIrAnBoRN,

or NEWBURGH, NEw YoRK.

TRANSMISSION DEVICE.

Application filed December 29, 1923. Serial No. 683,331.

fhis invention relates to transmission de vices and has for its principal object to provide a new and improved construction, by means of which a frictional speed change gear is interposed between a driving'and driven shaft, intermediate two or more gear trains, at a point where the torque which the frictional drive must transmit is reduced because of the higher speeds at such point, whereby a lighter and therefore more easily 'manipulated frictional drive may be employed'than if thesaid drive were placed directly between the driving and driven I shafts.

Another object is to provide in combination with a frictional drive, an overload clutch and connections therefrom to the frictional drive to cause said frictional drive 'to be operated to decrease the speed automatically when the. resistance offered by the driven shaft exceeds a predetermined amount;

Another object is to provide a second clutch to connect the driving and driven shafts directly and to provide means to actuate said clutch automatically by the movement of the frictional driving gear when it is moved to its point of maximum speed ratio.

For the accomplishment of these andsuch further objects as will hereinafter be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this appertains, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein specifically described 'and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown a preferred"embodiment of the invention, but itis to beunderstood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification I Fig. 1 is an elevation of a transmission gear embodying my invention, the transmission casing being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig.

1, and l Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the friction drive members.

In the drawings, my improved'transmission is shown as applied to anautomobile, the numeral 10 indicating the engine, to which a casing 11 containing the usual fly wheel is secured. The driving shaft 12- of the engine has securedthereto, a bevel gear 13, which meshes with a bevel gearll, secured to a vertical shaft 15. A transmission gear casing 16 is suitably secured to the fly wheel casing and a bracket 17 secured to said transmission casing is provided with bearings 18, in which the vertical shaft is rotatably' mounted. The upper end" of shaft 15 has secured thereto a friction disc 19, with the upper face of which a friction wheel 20 engages. The friction wheel 20 is slidably mounted upon a squared countershaft 21, the extremities of which are turned down and arerotatably mounted in the bearings 22, 23, formed in thegear casing 16. The friction wheel 20 is provided with the hubs 2ft, the outer periphen ics of which are turned to engage rotatably within the bearings 25, formed in the yoke arms 26, projecting downwardly front-a slide block 27. The slide block 2? is'slidably mounted upon a round shaft 28, which in turn-is slidably mounted in the bearings 29, provided in the gear casing 16. Shaft 28 is located preferably above and in alignment with'the counter shaft 21, and isprovid'ed with a turned down or grooved .por-

tion 31, with which is adapted to engage a locking block 32, slidably mounted within the guideways 33, cut in the slide bloclc27. A pin 34, which passes throughthelocking block 32, preferably midway between the sidesthereof, has one arm ofabell crank 35, pivotallyanchored thereto. The bell crank is pivotally supported,'as at 36, by the slide block 27, and its otherv arm is pivotally connected, by the pin and slot connection 37, with an operating lever '38. The operating lever 38 passes through aslot 39 in the toe board 40 of the automobile and extends to a point conveniently accessible to the operator, or may be connected to any system of levers leading to such'a point.

A spring 41, mounted between the upper face of the locking block 32, and'the under face of the top of the guide .way 33, normally urges the locking block downwardly toengage within the groove31, and a collar or flange 42, is provided on the'shaft 28 to ,engagewith the bearing 30 and limit the movement of, said shaft towards the left.

(Fig. 1.)

fblock being provided with the projecting "lugs 70 to contact with said yoke arms when jzustably the clutch collar (34.

lever 67 terminates in the yoke arms'69 which straddle the shaft 21, to lie" within the path is normally urged by-a strong sp 'ing 49 to hold the teeth 47 thereof in engagement with the'co'operating teeth 50, provided on :the

face of a hub 51 formed on a lare'e s hr -gear52; The gear 52 meshes with and is adapted to be driven by a spuripinioii-53 secured to the rounded end 54 of-th-e squared shaft 21. The spring 49 has one end-thereof bearingagainst-thee-lutch collar 46, while its otheren'dpiesses againsta collar 55,- ad fixed,;as by "asset screw"56, to the driven shaft. -A lever- 57 pivotally -mounted 'tofa'fixed; support, such as 58, has its lower endpivotallysecured to .a sleeve 59, mount- .ed ina suitable groove ofthe clutchjcollar 46, while itsupperlend is provided with the [yoke arms pivotally connected with the flattened end 61- of the Sl11ft28tO-Ii10VQ said shaftiiiflaccoidancewith the movement of said fclutch collar.

A direct positive driving clutch consists of the clutch teeth (32, formed in the hub of "the bevel gear 13, and the teeth63 cut in the face of a clutch collar 64. The clutch collar 64 "is slidably, but -non-rotatably mounted, as by the key 65, upon the driven sha-ft45,

and the teeth 63 thereof are normally held out of engagement with the teeth 62 by a spring 66 acting upon a pivoted lever 67, the lower end-of-which is engaged with a sleeve 68, mounted in a suitable-groove in The upper end of the of movement of the sliding-block 2?, said the sliding lock approaches the outer, limit of its travel with respectto the disc 19.

The central portion of thedisc 19 is cut away as indicated at 71 iirFig. 3' of the drawing "and the outer edge thereof is tion of to 1 tweenthe shafts 12 and-21, and the gear roun-ded off as indicated at contacting pressure between the disc and wheel will be released when the wheel is moved overthese depressed or lower portions of the disc.

The gears 13 and 14, as showin'are in the ratio of 10 to 1, while the ratio-of the-disc 19 to the wheel 20, at the outermostcireuin remain region of full contactof said wheel with the disc 19, is 1' to'l. 'A igear reduc is therefore provided for bereduction between the shafts 21 and proof, rotation'of shafts 21 and 45 will be ually increased as the-friction wheel120 ap-- 2, so that the vided by the gears 52 and 53 is also in the ratio 1 to 10, so that when the friction wheel 20 isbeing driven at a maximum speed, the shafts 12-and -45 arebeing drivenat the same speeds. It is to be understood, however, that the gear ratios shown are merey illustrative and that in practice the ratios employecl'i'n'ay be'iniic'hgreater than shown in the drawings. The underlying principle of myin'vention is to decrease greatly the torque at-anyintermediate point between a driving and ClllVQIiSlld'ft by a large increase of speed produced by any suitable gear train,

hich therebyenablesnot only a very much lighter and more delicate clutching mech iiisin to be employed at such intermediate F point, but also by employing-a friction drive at such a point where the torque is greatly re duced, a more efficient drive is secured than if the friction d-rive were interposed-directly between the driving and driven shafts.

The operation of the device -is %as fol-- lows :Before the automobile eiigine is started, the friction wheel 20 is brought to neutral position "immediately over-and in alignment with the cut out portion 71, in which position it ;is: out of driving-contact w th the-disc 19. The engine istl-ien started f-and the shaft 12 thereof, rotates the disc 19 by means of the gears 13-and 14. The lever '38 is now actuated to move the friction wheel its position overQthe; cut out-portion; 7 1 into contact'with the driving face of the disc 19, shaft 21 will-be rotated. The rotation of shaft 21-will be communicated by the gears 20 to the left, andas said wheel moves-from 53, 52 to the driven shaft 45, and the speed gradproaches the periphery of disc 19. Vi hen --the friction wheel has reached its outermost positionof fullcontact, the parts'are so pro- .portioned, --as Z heretofore stated, that the drivenjshaft 45 willbe rotated at the same speed as the drivingshaft-12. By continuing the movement of the friction wheel towards the left, after it has reachedits outermost full contact position, thespeed of thedriven shaft 45 will-be slightly increased over thatof the driving shaft; As the moveinent of the sliding'block 27 is continued, the lugs 70 contact with the yoke arms 69, justas the left hand-end of the friction: wheel 20 passes from the contact faceof the discover the rounded edge portion 72, and during the 'time'the friction'wheel in passing out of engagement with the contact face of-thezdisc,

the pressure of the l.u,9;s"70 of the sliding block 27 will cause the lever 68 to be moved in aclockwisedire'ction to move the teeth 63 of the clutch collar64 into engagement with the teeth 62, on thegear 13, thus throwing the shafts 12 and 45 into direct positive driving engagement. -Due to the slight increase in speed of the gear 52, caused by the increase in speed of the friction wheel 20, as it passes off the disc 19, the clutch teeth 62 and 63 will engage easily. When the locking block 27 is moved by the lever 38 into the region of full speed drive of the wheel 20, the locking block is snapped into the groove 31, by the spring 41. If the resistance to the rotation of the driven shaft is increased, as for example, when the automobile is travelling up hill, the V shape of the clutchteeth 47, will, because of the increased torque, cause the clutch collar 46 to be moved against the pressure of the spring 49, thus causing the lever 57 to be moved in-a clockwise direction and push the shaft 28 to the right,

and as the sliding block 27 is locked to said shaft 28 by the engagement of the locking block 32 with the groove 31 of said shaft, the block 27 and friction wheel 20 will therefore be moved to the right, thus automatically decreasing the speed of the shaft 45 in accordance with increases in the resistance of fered to the rotation of said shaft, the reverse movement of the parts occurring when the resistance decreases. The length of the key way 48* in the shaft 45 in which the key 48 engages, is so proportioned that complete disengagement of the clutch teeth will be prevented by the engagement of the key with the end of the keyway.

During the movement of the locking block towards the right, the lugs will be moved out of contact with the yoke arms 69, thus permitting the lever 67 to be moved by the action of the spring 66 to disengage the clutch teeth 62, 63.

If it is desired to decrease thespeedof-the shaft 45, by manipulation of the lever 38, the lever is moved in a counter-clockwise direction, thus moving the bell crank 35 in a clockwise direction and raising the locking block 32, against the action of spring 41, outof engagement withthe groove 31. The sliding block 27 being released from locking engagement with the shaft 28, its movement towards the right by the lever v38, is permitted, and the disengagement of lugs'70, with the yoke arms 69, permits the lever 67 to be simultaneously actuated by the spring 66 to cause the clutch teeth 62, 63 to be disengaged. As the locking block is moved towards the right, the friction wheel 20 rides easily over. the rounded edge 72 of the disc 19. By continuing the movement of the lever 38, the friction wheel 20 may be brought over the cut out central portion 71 to stop the rotation of the friction wheel and if it is desired to drive the automobile in a reverse direction, the friction wheel 20 is moved into contact' with the right hand portion of the disc 19. V

While I have shown my improved transmission device as applied to an automobile transmission, it will be obvious that the principles of construction herein disclosed areof general application and are not to be considered as limited to automobile transmissions.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is: 3

1. In a transmission device, a driving shaft, a driven shaft and a countershaft, a gear reduction train interposed between said driving shaft and countershaft, to drive said countershaft at a much greater speed than said driving shaft, whereby saidv countershaft will be subjected to a correspondingy decreased torque, a second gear reduction train between said countershaft and driven shaft equal to said first named gear tI'2ll11,2i11Cl a variable speed friction gearing to connect the high speed members of said gear trains, said friction gearing being constructed and arranged to cause, said high speed members of said gear trains to be driven at substantially equal speeds when said friction gearing is moved to its position of maximum speed transmission, and means actuatedby the movement of said friction gearing past its position of max imum speed transmission to connect said driving and driven shafts in direct positive driving engagement.

2.1n a transmission device, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, and a countershaft, a gear reduction train interposed between said driving shaft and countershaft to drive said counter-shaft at a much greater speed and a correspondingly decreased torque relative to said driving shaft, a second gear reduction train between said c'ountershaft and driven shaft equal to said first named gear train, a variable speed friction gearing interposed between the high speed members of said gear trains, said friction gearing being constructed and arranged to cause said gear trains to operate at substantially equal speeds when said friction gearing is moved to its position of maximum speed transmission, a clutch to connect said driving and driven shafts in direct positive driving engagement and means automatically actuated by the movement of said friction gearing past its position of maximum speed transmission to move said clutch to its operative position.

3. In a transmission device, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, and a countersha-ft, a gear reduction train interposed between said driving shaft and countershaft to drive said countershaft at a muchgreater speed and a correspondingly decreasedtorque relative to said driving shaft, a second gear reduction train between said countersha-ft and driven 1 between the high speed members of said gear trains, said friction gearing being constructed and arranged to cause said gear said drivin coun it tuae said Iri tion gear na' I: W i

i trains, manually tuate said friction gearingtovarv he speed ative to said drivingshaft, a

trains to operate at substantially equal speeds vwhen said friction gearing is moved to its position of maximum speed transmission, a clutch to connect said driving and eriven shafts in direct positive driving en gagement, means to hold said clutch normally in ino erative position and meais i i autoinati al -v actuated by the movement of gearing past its position of n transmission to move said f ion.

' sion device, driving it. and a countershafti a between said moi maximum spe clutch to its 0 daft, train betveen said con P t n eed lmftlc ll inter; between time high speed members of caiu gear tr insmtnuallvcperahle means to acp to va tlier of and. means opei at d by an inthe resistance offered to the rotition c said jdriven shaft to ac'uate said i gearingand decrease the speee rati of in accordance "with the inc ance. v

5.-.l.na transmisison device, a drivine; Sllfll tyfi driven shaft, and a counter-shaft. gear reduction train intcoosed c ive/c1 said driving shaft and counter-shaft to orive said countershaft at a much greater speed and a 'y decreased torque relative to corres aondingi said driving sha t a second a'ea' reduction train between said c untershaft and driven shaft-equal to said first named gear train. a variable sneed friction gearing interposed between the high speed members of said operablemeans to acthereof, means operated by an increase in the resistance offeret to the rotation of said driven shaft to actuate said friction gearlng vand decrease the speed ratio thereof in accordance with the increased resistance, and meanscapable of auton atically connecting; the last 1.151111%(1'11163115 with said manually operable means vvhen said last named means operated by said increased resistance. 6. in transmission device, a driving shaft a driven shaft. and a counter-shaft. a

'terposedbetween the high speed members of sand gear trains, manually ope ablemeans to actuate said friction gearing to said. fric ion gearing l ate-d to decrease the spi d of said f e said tersl aft .of saidv friction. disc comprising. a

vary the speed thereof,andv means operated by an increase in the resistance offered to the rotation ofsaid driven shaft to. actuate and decrease the speed ratio hereof .in 1 accordance avith the I inb creased resistance, and means caaableiof automati ally connecting the Q last LZtHlQtl means with said ma ually operable means ivhen said last name-d. i ns is operated by said increased resistance, and said autom tio connecting means being constructed and arranged to'be'rendered inopera ive when saidinanually operable meat s counters i l at'a greatly t i 1espondinglydecreased t rque "-elati' v c shaft, second gear reduction ti between said driven shaft and counte raft equal to said first namedgeartraim a variable speed friction gearing between :ed inembcrs of said gear trains, gearing comprising a friction n wheel movable across the "'riction ;disc,;.means to move 7 Wheel across the face of said comgrising a v sliding block in friction WllGQl is rotatably a and a shaft PEI'EllGlWYlt-h sa d nte shaft, upon which saidy mounted. I

8. In transmission device, a driving 9' ra"drivenshaft and a-countersha'ft "eduction train between said driving it to drive counagreatl increased-speed and at cor espondingly deer asedv'torque relative to said'driving shaft, a second gear reduction train betiveen said driven shaftand counters raft equal to said first named gear train, variable speed frictiongearing beand countersha tween the high speed members :of said gear train said frict-iongcaring comprising a friction disc, a friction wvheel movable across the face of said friction-disc means to move said friction vvheelacross: the face sliding block in which said friction \vheelis'rotatably mounted, and a sh 1ft parallelivith said 0. counters raft, upon \vhicl said block is slidahly mounted, and manuall ope 'ableineans to slide said block and if 'ction; wheel *elativelv to said; friction ,di 7 v '9. In a transmission device,

a driving -.shaft-, a drivenshaftand a countershaft, a gear reduction train between said driving shaft and couitershaft to drive said countershaft at agreatly lncreased speed and at block isslid-l a corresnondinol decreased tort ue relative L (J n to said driving shaft, a second gearyreduetion train between :SfilCl drlvenishaft and countershaft equal to said first named gear train, a variable speed friction gearing between the high speed members of said gear trains, said friction gearing comprising a friction disc, a friction wheel movable across the face of said friction disc and means to move said friction wheel across the face of said friction disc comprising a sliding block in which said friction wheel is rotatably mounted, a shaft parallel with said countershaft, upon which said block is slidably mounted, and a locking block movably mounted upon said sliding block the last named shaft being provided with means adapted to be engaged by said locking block.

10. In a transmission device, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a countershaft, a gear reduction train between said driving shaft and countershaft, to drive said countershaft at a greatly increased speed and at a correspondingly decreased torque relative to said driving shaft, a second gear reduction train between said driven shaft and countershaft equal to said first named gear train, a variable speed friction gearing between the high speed members of said gear trains, said friction gearing comprising a friction disc, a friction wheel movable across the face of said friction disc, means to move said friction wheel across the face of said friction disc comprising a sliding block in which said friction wheel is rotatably mounted, a slidable shaft parallel with said countershaft and locking means to automatically lock together said sliding block and slidable shaft.

l1. In a transmission device, a driving shaft, a driven shaft and a countershaft, a gear reductiomtrain between said driving shaft and countershaft, to drive said countershaft at a greatly increased speed and at a correspondingly decreased torque relative to said driving shaft, a second gear reduction train between said driven shaft and countershaft equal to said first named gear train, a variable speed friction gearing between the high speed members of said gear trains, said friction gearing comprising a friction disc, a friction wheel movable across the face of said friction disc, means to move said friction Wheel across the face of said friction disc comprising a sliding block in which said friction wheel is rotatably mounted, a sliding shaft parallel with said countershaft, locking means to automatically lock together said sliding block and slidable shaft, manually operable means to actuate said sliding block, and means operated by said manually operable means to disconnect said locking means when said manually operable means is actuated to decrease thespeed of said friction wheel.

12. In a transmission device, a driving shaft, a driven shaft and a countershaft, a gear reduction train between said' driving shaft and countershaft to drive said countershaft, at a greatly increased speed and at a correspondingly decreased torque relative to said driving shaft, a second gear reduction train between said driven shaft and oountershaft equal tosaid first named gear train, a variable speed friction gearing between the high speed members of said gear trains, said friction gearing comprising a friction disc,afriction wheel movable across the face of said friction disc, means to move said friction wheel across the face of said friction disc comprising a sliding block in which said friction wheel is rotatably mounted, a slidable shaft parallel with said countershaft, locking means to automatically lock together said sliding block and slidable shaft, and means to actuate automatically said slidable shaft tomove said shaft and sliding block and de crease the speed of said friction wheel when the torque upon said driven shaft increases beyond a predetermined amount.

13. In a transmission device, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, and a countershaft, a gear reduction train between said driving shaft and countershaft, to drive said countershaft at a greatly increased speed and at a correspondingly decreased torque relative to said driving shaft, a second gear reduction train between said driven shaft and countershaft equal to said first named gear train, a variable speed friction gearing between the high speed members of said gear trains, said friction gearing comprising a friction disc, a friction wheel movable across the face of said friction disc, means to move said friction wheel across the face of said friction disc comprising a sliding block in which said friction wheel is rotatably mounted, a clutch to connect said driving and driven shafts in direct positive driving relationship and means connected withsaid clutch extending into the path of movement of said sliding block to cause said clutch to be actuated automatically by the movement of said sliding block to vary the speed of said friction wheel.

In testimony whereof I have affiXed my signature.

FREDERIC 'C. CHADBORN. [1 s.] 

